In the bottoming room, the first operation is the automatic lacing of the upper (stitched to gether and eyeletted) on a 'lacing' machine. This ensures the proper positioning of the upper upon the last with relation to the sole. The 'counter' and the 'toe box' are then properly positioned upon the last, over which the upper is then drawn. On the 'last' the wooden form corresponding to the shape of the foot — there has already been attached the insole—automati cally secured by an 'insole tacking' machine in proper position. The upper being drawn over the last and attached to the insole, the operator verifies the position of the heel seam, on which depends the proper balance of the remaining parts. An 'assembling' machine then drives two tacks part way through the upper into the last, on which another operator, on the °pulling over° machine, with automatic pincers that grasp the 'bottom' edges of the upper at dif ferent points, and, pulling with firm and uni form tension, presses the leather against the last, allowing the operator, through other move ments, to adjust the upper to the exact position desired. Another movement, with the pincers again pulling and three tacks are partly driven in at each side and one at the toe, the upper be ing now in the proper position with relation to the insole. The next operation is by the 'last ing' machine, the edges of the upper being au tomatically drawn by small pincers into their ultimate position on the last, each portion, as pulled into place, being automatically tacked part way—the operation being effected so uni formly that every shoe of each order number is the same. To properly last the toe and heel, a 'wiping' motion is imparted to these parts, smoothing and securing the wrinkles resulting from the surplus stock. The tacks .driven through the heel part are permanently clinched on the insole against the iron heel of the last, the remaining tacks being driven in only partly, in order to be again removed. An 'upper trim ming' machine trims off the surplus leather at the toe and heel, after the 'wiping' operation, the remainder being pounded smoothly upon the last, the leather at the sides and around the 'toe box' and 'counter' being made to conform to the last. A 'tack pulling and resetting' ma chine now pulls the lasting tacks, driving in others as necessary, or supplying other means for holding the edges of the upper flush with the insole edge and bent at right angles to con form with the 'channel lip,' or shoulder as pre viously described for the insole. The 'welt' is next attached. This is a narrow strip of leather extending from side to side of the heel around the shoe between the upper and the outsole, its outer edge being flush with the latter, the two being apparently one piece. By means of an ingenious device known as the sewing* machine the welt, positioned with its inner edge flush to the angle of the °upper* edge against the (channel lip,* just described, is stitched se curely to the upper and the insole. This is ef fected by means of a curved needle adapted to making a stitch extending from the (groove* of the insole, through the "channel lip,* the (upper,* and diagonally through the inner edge of the (welt,* by a single motion, securing all three together. The upper securing tacks and those holding the insole to the last being with drawn, the protruding portions of the welt, up per and channel lip, left after the welt sewing operation, are trimmed away, and the welt is hammered in a °welt beating and slashing ma chine') to cause it to stand out evenly from the shoe, special attention being required for the toe part to overcome the tension. A rubber cement is then applied to the face of the insole and welt, a ufilhng,D of leather, cork or other material, having been provided to occupy the horizontal space from side to side between the perpendicular °channel lips,* and in turn like wise coated with cement. The character of this is sometimes a determining factor in shoe quality. Leather scraps, if used, are apt, through their friction, to produce (squeaking)) in walking for which reason other materials devoid of tliis fault are preferred. A metal, or other, "shank support)) is also laid on the shank part of the insole, corresponding to the arch of the foot. At the same time, the outsole, trimmed to correspond with the last and welt, is also coated with rubber cement on the flesh side of the leather, and in the (sole laying* ma chine— in a rubber form, pressing every por tion of the outsole surface — the upper and sole are brought together under heavy pressure until the cement sets. This finished, the sole—now consisting of the outsole and the welt, cemented together—is °rounded* and (channelled) on a machine performing two operations. Rounding consists in trimming the sole to width required, and thinning same — for example, the edges of the (shank.* °Channelling)) is the same operation as noted in the preparation of the insole — a diagonal slit near the edge of the (face* side of the outsole, the (channel,* being on a line with the stitching desired, which latter when completed is covered from sight and wear by the "channel lie cemented back in place. Rounding and channelling have to do only with that part of the outside covered by the welt, the (heel seat* being untouched. This is fol lowed by the sewing of the outside to the welt, the °channel lip,* before noticed, being turned out for the purpose. The stitches—with waxed thread— are extremely fine and durable, being known as the "lock-stitch.)) The thread used is cotton or linen, the former for footwear liable to exposure to dampness. Due to lack of uni formity in the fibres, hemp, the favorite thread for custom-made shoes, cannot be used success fully on stitching machines. The (channel lie is then cemented in its original position; the sole is then "levelled* under heavy pressure, to remove any unevenness on its bottom.
The heel the "lifts)) having been cemented together in the sole leather room — is positioned on the (heel seat) and the required number of nails are automatically driven through it, the (heel seat,* and the insole, the points being turned back into the heel where they are clinched. The heads of the nails are left pro truding to accommodate the (face,* or toplift, which is put on last. Special care is made in the selection and preparation of this lift on ac count of the wear to which it is subjected, brass or other being generally inserted on its edges. The heel is then trimmed, the the front face—is squared across or hollowed out, and the hole is scoured with sandpaper moulded to shape. The edge of the sole receives its final trimming and a coat of blacking, while the upper side of the felt is indented with little notches to indicate the stitches and then burnished, along with the edge of the sole. The succeeding operations all relate to the finish of the shoe, and, while varied, are not peculiar other than that most of them are performed by machinery — (buffing,* the polishing off of discolorations resulting from handling, (cleaning,* (bladcing,) (polish ing,* acreasine — across the toe part, to take the place of irregular lines that might result from wear—stamping of name or trade mark, etc.
It will be noticed that the "last,* on which the upper is fitted, and in which it is retained throughout the making is an important ele ment. It is the basis of style and fit, intended, as it is, to represent as nearly as possible the foot for which the shoe is ultimately intended. Their making is a distinctive profession, being known to the ancients, mention being made of lasts by the Greek authors. It is only within the period of machine-made footwear, however, that they have attained to anything near perfection. Due to their general similarity to day, based upon the anatomy of the foot (q.v.), certain standards have been evolved giving commercial sizes in length and width (or rather girth) of the foot. There are three general sys tems of measurement — the English, used in the British dominions and by many manu facturers of the United States; the American, used only in the United and the French, used generally throughout Europe and metric system-using countries. The measurements of both length and girth are of the same parts of the foot—length from the heel, at the beginning of the tendon of Achilles, to the tip of the great toe, and girth, around the foot at the ball in a line at right angles with the direction of the second toe. For custom-made work measure ments are taken around the foot — from the instep—under the arch, to the point of the heel, and horizontally around the ankle. With machine-made footwear these latter, while con sidered by the last-maker and manufacturer, are treated by the retailer and customer as a matter of comfort or style. The French unit of length is the (Paris point,* equaling % of a centimeter, or approximately 4/15 of an inch, 15 "points,* or sizes, being about 4 inches. The English and American measure is 1/j inch, the former counted from the 4-inch mark of a standard rule, while the latter is counted from the 3-11/12 inch mark. At the annual meeting of the National Boot and Shoe Manufacturers' As sociation held at New York on 15-16 Jan. 1918, it was recommended that the English system of numbering for length be used entirely; that being generally known and having low numbers, had a more genteel sound, particularly for women's shoes. Taking the English measure, the sizes run from 1 to 13, for children and youths, and, for adults, continue in a new series from size 1 on. A youth's size 13 is therefore 4 plus (13x%) inches, or 8% inches long, while an adult's size 5 — in the second series — is 4 plus [(13 plus 5)x%) inches, or 10 inches long. Breadth (or girth)— known as °the last° —is indicated in the English system by numerals, the standard average being 3; the American system, used in the United States, being that of letters, the standard average being C (the equiv alent of the English the smaller widths being B, A, AA and AAA, and the larger D, E, EE and EEE (or W), the triple lasts being ex tremes. The standard of difference between each °last° letter and its next in order is inch, for the same length of shoe; and between the same last letter of two shoes one size apart is 1/4 inch, and for 1/4 size apart, 1/4 inch. From these gradations it is. possible, a specified size and last being known, to figure out any other. The standard model for men's wear is size 7, last C; that of women, size 4, last B. Size 7 indicates a length of 103/3 inches, and the girth of its C last is 81/4 inches; size 4 and its last B, are respectively 91/4 and 71/4 inches. From this, it will be noted that the °last* is almost exactly 8, the length of the °size.° The rule for meas uring is to measure the length of the foot, add ing— for play of shoe-1/12 inch for each inch or major fractional part thereof, the result being the length of the shoe, or °size.° This figure, multiplied by 8 (the ratio of the girth at the ball of the foot) gives the °last)) in inches. From these two figures, by the applica tion of the rule for measurement by the English system, and by the rule for the determination of °last)) differences, the size and °last° required may be found. Example: The length meas urement of a given foot is 10 inches; girth at ball, 834 inches. The length, 10, plus 10/12 inch, equals 10 10/12 inches — the °size° which, multiplied by .8 (the girth ratio for the C last) gives 8.66 inches, say 8%. Ten and ten twelfths inches in length, English system, indi cates a size of 71/4, the C, or standard last of which is 80 inches. The actual girth measure ment, 83 inches, being 1/4 inch less, a unit rep resenting one °last)) letter, is to be subtracted from °last) C, indicating B — the width required for size 7ya.